Method and means for shaping glass



July 25, 1939. A. VERLAY 2,157,313

METHOD AND MEANS FOR SHAPING GLASS 'F'iled Nov. 25, 1934' 3 m ficmu: Mam/1y Patented July 25, 1 939 e um'rso STATES-PATENT OFFICE Achille Verlay, -Longueil-Annel, France, assignor to Societe Anonyme des Manufactures des Glaces & Produits Chimiques dc Saint-Gobain,

' Chauny 85 Cirey, Paris, France v 7 Application November 23;, 1934, Serial No. 1541325 In France November 25, 1933 9 Claims. (Cl. 49-11) This invention relates to a method and'mean's It. has also been found or value to avoid sonfor shaping sheet glass. and refers more partact of the sheet with any solid elements or meme ticularly to a method and a device for bending hers with the exception of those' used for mainthin sheets of glass to provide giasssurfaces taming or suspending the sheet of glass'in a having a predetermined curvature. w vertical positi'onflduring the heating and eventu-i 5 {in object of this invention is the provision of ally the conditioning operation. a method by means ofawhich curved 'glass sur- 'The above and other biects of this invention faces' may be manufactured in ,a comparatively will appear more clearly from the following deshort time. K tailed description when taken in connection with 10 Another object is the provision of a device for the a pany ng draw ng showing preferred bending a sheet of glass in such manner that embodiments of the inventive idea. the resuiting article. has two surfaces which can In the drawing: p be made exactly; parallel to each other. Figure 1 shows in verticalsection a suspended A further object is the manufacture of curved flat sheet of glass and 5:1 device-for shaping the m glass sheets having smoothand rounded curved same.

' l ments-p I 55 the Shape given to. the sheet.

surfaces. j Figure 2 is a top view of the device shown in The above and other objects of this invention Figure 1.; I

may be realized by placing a sheet of glass in Figure-3'illustrates in vertical sections shaping a -"v ertical position, for instancebysuspending device-of a somewhat different construction, said V I go-the same vertically" nd heating thesame to a device shown duringthe bending oi the so temperature which is close to the-'softening temfflat sheet of glass. p j v n e of this glass. Then both faces of the Figure 4 is a top view of the device shown in sheet of glass, while placed in a vertical posl- Figure 3. i v i tion, are subjected to-pre'ssure'through the ap- Figure 5 shows in vertical section the device 1 gjpli'cation of suitable shaped pressure elements or illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 after the shaping forming dies until the desired curvature is atprocess has been completed. v tained. Then the forming dies are removed and I Figure 6 is a top view of the device shown in. h Sheet of glass is submitted to any convenient Figure 5. treatment. 4 v )A i'iat sheet or glass II. which maybe'manuso By maintaining thesheet vertically or'in su'sfactured in accordance with any well' known pension during the heating and formingep'eramethods and which as shown in Figures 1 and .2 tions and after the completion of the latter, the ot'the drawing is suspended vertically by'a pair ,sheet is prevented from sagging and contacting of clamps ll, each of which comprises a pair of unduly with surfaces such as wouldbe the casejaws i2 and i3 1 applied to the opposite surfaces if the sheet were heat-treated and formed while of the sheet ofglass l0 adjacent to the upp e v in a horizontal position; v thereof.- 'Ihe clamps II are att he y wire! In nms ms s sheet r al y. and espea or strings "to any suitable support not shown cially by the suspending means herein'disclosedt in the drawing. the sheet-is free-t0 move under the action of the The flat sheet ofglass l0 suspended vertically m torming or shaping means, thus minimizing any by'meausor clamps ll isnrstneated in a furnace 40 v tendency of the sheet to distort such as would Ii indicated diagrammatically in Figure 1-, untl occur if the sheet were held: in adixed or. im-' the temperature of the glass sheet llis @105 movable-support p f the softening temperature of the glass. Then The treatmentof the sheet -while in a vertical the sheet or glass. I. is removed {fem the furnace a. 4.1 or suspended position also permits the use of II and isirapidly brought in coni'actwith'a pair spaced shaping onformihg" lements and, may- Q of pressure elements orforming'dies' l0 and ii. render unnecessary the solid or continui- Q 'fflIQ forming die I. which is applied to; the surous shaping. surtacesj-since.' the glass does not face "or the sheet of-glass ll comprises rib-like have any tendency to flow orsag into the spaces members ll made of wood, asbestos or another -or recesses between the spaced. shaping ,ele suitable rigid or elastic material and having enter up f. surfaces 2| which have the required curvature.- In some cases it has been found of interest to "As previously explained,-iuasmuch as-the sheet 1 condition orvanneal the sheet of glass while is maintained vertically orinm enuoma solid".

tl ie forming members since'the glasswill not tend as,

' placed vertically atter shaping in order to keep 1 '0 continuous surface is not always requiredfor to flow or sag into the spaces or recesses between the rib-like members Hi.

The ribs 19 are carried by a plate 9 which is rigidly connected with a rod 2|.

The forming die I! which is applied against the surface 22 of the glass sheet 10, comprisesa number of rib-like members 23 which are parallel to the elements l9 and are preferably made of the same material. The ribs 23 are provided with outer surfaces 24 having the required curvature, and are carried by a plate 25 which is firmly attached to one end .of a rod 26.

Experience has shown that it is not necessary that the members press upon the whole surface of the sheet but only on a part of it. Accord-- ingly the members l9 or respectively 23 do not need to be located adjacent one to the other on the respective plates 9 and 25.

As soon as thefiat sheet of glass I is removed from the furnace I the rib-like members I!) and h 23- are pressed against the surfaces-l8 and 22, respectively, of the sheet of glass M. It is advisable that the same amount of pressure be applied against both surfaces of the glass'sheet III.

In the device illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6, the rods 2| and 26 are supported by bearings 21 and 28, respectively. A piston 29 is situated within a cylinder 30 and is rigidly connected with the piston rod 2| (Fig. 1). In a similar manner, the piston rod 26 is connected with a piston 3i situated within a cylinder '32. A conduit 33 is used for supplying a pressure fluid into the interior of the cylinders 30 and 3i for the purpose of pressing the forming dies l6 and l! against the sheet of glass It.

In the modification shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing, the forming dies I6 and II are pressed against opposite surfaces of a sheet of glass 40 by manual or mechanical forces exerted .upon a pair of jaws 34 connected with the opposite ends of the rods 2| and 2B which are supported by bearings 31 and 38.

Obviously, a variety of diiferent'devices may be used for the purpose of causing the forming dies 16 and I! to exert a pressure upon the suspended sheet of glass Ill.

The forming dies 6 and I! are drawn away from the suspended sheet of glass III as soon as it has acquired the desired form, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Then the shaped sheet of glass I!) may be submitted to any suitable treatment, or conditioning.

It is possible to use the same forming dies l6 and II for the purpose of manufacturing a pair of curved glass sheets which are symmetrical with respect to eachother. After one sheet of glass has been made it is merely necessary'to turn the forming dies l6 and H to an angle of 180 degree's with respect to their original positions. In the device illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 5 and 6, this can be easily accomplished by turning the rods 2| and 26. Then the same pressure ribs l9 and 23 may beused for shaping the second glass sheet which will be symmetrical to the originally manufactured sheet of glass.

Following .the bending or shaping operation, the sheet may be suitably conditioned, that is .to say, as for example, annealed.

It has been found of interest that during the heating of the sheet of glass and even during its conditioning the latter does i; come in contact with any solid body with the exception of the comparatively small area of contact be tween'the sheet of glass and the supporting device, for instance the clamps ll shown in the drawing. Due

It has been found by actual experiments that the shapingprocess takes place so rapidly that it is not necessary to insulate the forming dies I6 and I1 against the high temperature of the heated sheet of glass, although'this may be done.

The sheets of glass manufactured in accordance with the described method keep their initial smoothness so that it is not necessary to submit them to repolishing treatment.

The same method may be applied for straightening bent glass sheets, instead of bending flat sheets.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of bending a glass sheet which comprises suspending it in a vertical position from a plurality of spaced supports engaging the same near the upper edge thereof, each of the 'said supports being free to move with the .sheet during the bending, heating the sheet until the glass is at the softening point and applying pressure to the sheet to bend the same so that the surface thereof has the desired curvature in respect to a horizontal plane.

2. The method of bending a glass sheet which comprises suspending it'in a vertical position from a plurality of spaced supports engaging the same near the upper edge thereof, each of the said supports being free to move laterally with the sheet during the bending, heating the sheet until the glass is at the softening point and applying pressure to the sheet to bend the same so that the surface thereof has the desired curvature in respect to a horizontal plane.

3. The method of bending a-glass sheet which comprises suspending it in a vertical position from a plurality of spaced supports engaging the same near the upper edge thereof, each of the said supports being free to turn on a vertical axis with the sheet during the bending, heating the sheet until the glass is at the softening point and applying pressure to the sheet to bend the same so that the surface thereof has the desired curvature in respect to a horizontal plane.

4. The method of bending-a glass sheet which comprises suspending it in a vertical position from a plurality of spaced supports engaging the same near the upper edge thereof, each of the said supports being free to move laterally with the sheet and to turn on a vertical axis with the sheet during the bending, heating the sheet until the glass is at the softening point and applying pressure to the sheet to bend the same so that the surface thereof has the desired curvature in respect to a horizontal plane.

5. In an apparatus for bending glass sheets,

sheet until the means said means being free to move laterally with the sheet during the'bending, means for heating the sheet until the glass is at thesoftening point,

and-means for bending the sheets to a desired curvature in respect to a horizontal plane.

7. In an apparatus for bending glass sheets, the

combination of a plurality of supporting means sheet during the bending,- means for heating the glass is at the softening point,

' and means for bending the sheets to adesired cu: vature in respect to alhorizontal p'lane.

- 8. In an apparatus for bending glass sheets, the combination of a plurality of supporting means to engage the sheet near its upper edge at pointsseparated from each other, each of said means being free to move laterally with the-sheet and to turn on a vertical axis with the sheet during the bending, means for heating thesheet until the glass is, at the. softening means for bending the sheets to a desired curvature in respect to a horizontal plane.

9. The method of bending a glass sheet which comprises supporting it in a vertical position by means free to move with the sheet during the bending; heating. the sheet 'until the glass is at the softening poirft and applying pressure to the sheet to bend the same so that the surface thereof has the desired curvaturein respect to a 'hori-- 'zontal plane;

' 'ACHIIllE YERLAY.

point, and 

